Case Officer

Location: Birmingham/London

Salary: £92,071.60

Closing Date: 5/01/2025

The Financial Reporting Council’s (FRC) mission is to serve the public interest by setting high standards of corporate governance, reporting and audit and holding to account those responsible for delivering them. We are the UK Competent Authority for audit. We also set the UK Corporate Governance and Stewardship Codes as well as UK standards for accounting, auditing and actuarial work, and monitor and take action to promote the quality of corporate reporting and operate independent enforcement arrangements for accountants and actuaries. Further information about our role can be found at www.frc.org.uk.

Corporate Reporting Review (CRR) is part of the Supervision Division of the FRC. The team monitors financial information provided by companies for compliance with relevant reporting requirements. We enquire into possible material non-compliance through correspondence and face-to-face meetings with company chairs, directors and senior officers. In addition, CRR regularly prepares and publishes thematic reviews of key accounting topics. These reports are widely used by preparers and auditors as a source of best practice. Recent topics have included IFRS 13 ‘Fair value measurement’, reporting by private companies and TCFD disclosures and climate in the financial statements. Further information about the CRR’s work can be found at www.frc.org.uk/accountants/corporate-reporting-review and at https://www.frc.org.uk/frc-for-you/careers

The Role:

The role of a Case Officer includes:

• Performing technical reviews of companies’ annual reports and accounts and, in consultation with more experienced colleagues, deciding whether there is possible material non-compliance with relevant reporting requirements that should be raised with the company.
• Analysing company responses, undertaking additional research as necessary, and recommending proportionate regulatory action for discussion with and decision by the Technical Director/Case Directors, with input from Senior Advisors as necessary.
• Preparing initial and subsequent formal correspondence to companies for review.
• Preparing Case Summaries on cases for publication.
• Participating actively in meetings with companies.
• Managing work on concurrent cases, ensuring that all progress on a timely basis in line with the FRC’s documented processes.
• Researching and writing, either individually or as part of a small team, CRR thematic reviews.
• Maintaining and developing CRR's relationships with internal and external parties:
• Collaborating with other FRC departments as required.
• Attending meetings and corresponding with, and presenting to, other UK regulatory bodies.
• Maintaining and developing technical knowledge and understanding of accounting standards, the Companies Act and other relevant reporting requirements.
• Carrying out technical, organisational and administrative tasks and projects in support of CRR’s work as required.

The Person:

Candidates must be fully qualified members of ICAEW, ACCA, ICAS or CAI (or equivalents) and have:

• Significant post-qualification experience of applying IFRSs and UK GAAP at Senior Manager level in a major accounting firm or at a similar level within industry.
• A good knowledge of corporate reporting requirements and best practice.
• Strong oral and written communication skills.
• Excellent research and analytic skills.
• An ability to manage, and prioritise, a portfolio of cases concurrently.
• A good understanding of commerce and business.
• A good understanding of the regulatory environment and regulatory framework within which the FRC operates.
• Strong interpersonal skills.

Although not a requirement for the role, we would be especially interested to hear from candidates with knowledge and/or experience of:

• preparing or reviewing UK companies’ sustainability reporting and the relevant standards and frameworks (e.g. TCFD, CFD, SECR, ISSB); and/or
• the banking and/or insurance sectors.

An important part of the role of a Case Officer is to write clear, concise and accurate letters to companies. As part of your application, please will you up-load a covering letter that explains your motivations for joining the CRR team and the skills and experience that make you suitable for this role. Please will you also indicate whether you would like to be based in our London (Canary Wharf) or Central Birmingham office.

Prior to being invited to an interview, we ask shortlisted candidates to sit an on-line technical test, for which you should allow approximately 3.5 hours.

The post holder should be able to work flexibly to support the team’s activities and also provide cover within the FRC as necessary. The FRC operates a hybrid working arrangement with its workforce. The FRC operates a hybrid working arrangement, with a expectation that 40% of a person's working time will be located at one of our offices per week, with precise arrangements to be agreed between the employee and the line manager.